


A Show Worth Seeing

by TheRev28



Category: Love Live! School Idol Festival ALL STARS (Video Game), ラブライブ! 虹ヶ咲学園スクールアイドル同好会 | Love Live! Nijigasaki Gakuen School Idol Doukoukai (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, F/F, Fluff, Future Fic, Kasumi is a great wingwoman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-17 21:07:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28980840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRev28/pseuds/TheRev28
Summary: Ayumu would love nothing more than to see Setsuna's show before they'll be separated for three weeks, but a prior commitment prevents her. Maybe Kasumi can help out.
Relationships: Uehara Ayumu/Yuuki Setsuna
Comments: 8
Kudos: 29





	A Show Worth Seeing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [myongle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/myongle/gifts).



Ayumu and Setsuna sat at the dinner table in the apartment they shared, happy for this opportunity to eat together. Setsuna had been on a short national tour, wowing crowds in Tokyo, Kyoto, Hokkaido, and even Okinawa. While Ayumu was obviously incredibly proud of how her girlfriend’s idol career had taken off, she’d be the first to admit that she missed Setsuna terribly while she was gone. Thankfully, this most recent tour had only been a week long.

With dinner finally in front of her, Setsuna inhaled deeply, a smile forming on her face. “I always miss your cooking so much when I’m on the road. No other food even comes close.”

Ayumu returned the smile. “I could be cliched and say the secret ingredient is love.” 

That earned a laugh from her girlfriend, and Ayumu’s smile grew wider at hearing one of her favorite sounds. 

“Whatever it is, it’s one of the long list of reasons why coming home is my favorite part of any tour. Not that I don’t love performing or my fans! It’s just that nothing compares to how much I love you.” 

Butterflies fluttered in Ayumu’s stomach. Even after being together for so long, Setsuna always found ways to say things that made Ayumu’s heart beat just a little bit faster. Still, she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to tease a little. 

“Don’t worry, Nana, I won’t let your manager know you said something like that,” she said with a small grin.

Setsuna grinned back. “She’s known me since high school, I think she’d understand.”

“I still can’t believe your old student council vice president is now your professional manager.”

“I can’t, either, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Still, it’s a little strange sometimes that she’s the one making the calls now—a fact she enjoys reminding me of.”

The two shared a laugh before finally digging into their meals. They mostly ate in a comfortable silence, borne from years of being together. Occasionally one of them would mention whatever thought happened to cross their mind, but for the most part, they simply enjoyed being in the same place together again. It got lonely in the apartment without Setsuna around, though Ayumu figured going from hotel room to hotel room was probably worse. Still, it was why they always made the most of their time together.

Setsuna sat back with a dreamy smile on her face, heaving a contented sigh. The plate in front of her was empty. 

“That was delicious as always, Pomu,” she said, directing that smile Ayumu’s way. 

Ayumu smiled back and answered between bites. “I’d been meaning to try this recipe and figured it’d make a great welcome home meal. I’m glad you liked it!”

“I loved it.” She sighed again, though Ayumu detected a slightly more melancholy note to this one. The smile also slowly slipped away, transitioning to a more pensive expression. Ayumu lowered her chopsticks.

“So what’s the bad news?”

That broke Setsuna from her thousand yard stare, and she looked almost embarrassed at having been called out so blatantly.

“Heh… you always know how to read me. I… well, I wanted to wait a  _ little _ longer before mentioning it, but since you brought it up…. I’ve got another tour coming up in two weeks. An East Asia tour.” She paused and looked down at the table. “I’ll be away for three weeks.”

Ayumu’s expression fell. No matter how many times Setsuna had to leave for a tour, she always hated having to hear about it. Sure, she got over the sadness fairly quickly these days, but she didn’t think the initial sadness would ever stop happening. It didn’t help this time that there were usually much longer breaks between tours. Setsuna had just gotten back!

Setsuna quite obviously picked up on Ayumu’s disappointment. She reached across the table and grabbed Ayumu’s hands, giving them a reassuring squeeze.

“I know it sucks, but there’s one little silver lining,” she said, putting a smile back on her face. “The first show is right here in Odaiba! I can give you a VIP ticket and backstage pass! It’s been a while since you’ve gotten a chance to see one of my shows, and I thought it’d give you a fun memory before I have to be away for a while.”

It was a minor comfort, but Ayumu tried to think positively. It  _ had _ been a while since she’d seen a show, and maybe it would help with the loneliness a little. 

“That does sound fun. What day is it on?”

“Thursday.”

Ayumu quickly ran through her mental calendar, trying to think if she had anything scheduled for that day—either personally or for the salon she ran. After a moment, her stomach sank. It must have shown on her face, because Setsuna spoke up again.

“I get the feeling you have a conflict that day?”

“I am so sorry, Nacchan. I got contacted to do hair for some magazine photoshoot that day. Not only does it pay well, but it could help boost the salon’s popularity and bring in new business. And I wouldn’t dare ask them to reschedule the entire shoot just for me.”

Setsuna used her foot to gently rub Ayumu’s calf under the table. It was a gesture that always did wonders to calm Ayumu down when she got upset, and this time was no exception. Some of the negativity calmed down, and she took a deep breath.

“It’s alright, Pomu, you don’t have to justify it to me,” Setsuna said, keeping up that gentle motion. “Your career is just as important as mine, and I’m so happy that you’ve gotten this opportunity! Do you know who the client is? What magazine it’s for?”

Her girlfriend’s genuine enthusiasm finally brought the overall mood back up to a positive level, and Ayumu let herself smile.

“Sadly, I don’t know many details. The photography studio reached out to me, not the magazine, and all they sent were some references of the shoot’s themes.”

“Well it’s still a great opportunity and I’m super proud of you. And I’m still giving you that ticket, okay? Even if you can’t make it, I want you to have it.” Setsuna smiled, and Ayumu could never refuse her when she got earnest like that. She smiled back.

“Okay.”

##########

The next two weeks passed relatively uneventfully. Ayumu still went to work at her salon, and Setsuna still went into her agency’s office most days to make sure everything was ready for the tour. But it made all the difference in the world that Ayumu could come home after a long day of work and, more often than not, Setsuna was there to greet her. They made the most of their time together, in more ways than one, and it occasionally made it difficult for Ayumu to wake up for work in the morning. It was worth it, though, especially with the three week separation looming in the near future.

On Thursday morning, the two said their goodbyes after breakfast. Setsuna would be getting on a plane to Hokkaido shortly after the show in Odaiba ended. After a final kiss—which accidentally turned into multiple kisses—Ayumu finally left for the salon. She still had most of a day’s work before the contract job.

Thankfully, none of the people who came in that day needed anything difficult done with their hair, so Ayumu worked mostly on autopilot. Most of her brain power was split between thinking of Setsuna and thinking about the special job later that evening. She had a few ideas of general styles, but she wouldn’t be able to make a decision until she saw the actual model.

Finally, the time came for her to close up shop a little early and make her way to the photography studio. Luckily, it wasn’t terribly far away, so Ayumu arrived in fairly short order. A nice receptionist greeted her and led her back to the hair and makeup room. No one else was there yet, so she spent the next few minutes setting up and prepping. 

Ayumu heard the door open behind her and turned around, starting her greeting mid-motion. “Hello! It’s nice to—” She stopped when she saw who was standing in the doorway. “Kasumi?”

The  _ other _ professional idol in Ayumu’s life stood there with a genuine smile on her face. Kasumi worked with the same agency as Setsuna, so she had remained a pretty constant presence in Ayumu’s life, even after their school idol days ended. She was also a loyal customer at Ayumu’s salon—when she was allowed to style her own hair, that is. 

“Hey Ayumu!” she said, walking further into the room and nonchalantly plopping down onto the styling chair. “I was so happy when I heard you took the job! You always make my hair look super cute. Well, it’s always super cute, but you know what I mean.”

Meanwhile, Ayumu had yet to move, still standing there, jaw dropped a little. She gave her head a quick shake, trying to throw off the surprise. “Kasumi? You’re the model?”

“Yeah! My manager got me a centerfold spread in next month’s Dengeki issue.” She paused, her brows furrowing when she noticed Ayumu’s expression. “Wait, you didn’t know?”

“The studio didn’t tell me when they contacted me. All I got was when and where to show up and the overall theme of the shoot.”

Kasumi grumbled a little. “I specifically told them to get you for this, and they didn’t even tell you I’d be the model?” She huffed. “Well whatever, it’s not like you haven’t worked on my hair plenty of times already; this should be a piece of cake for you.”

Ayumu leaned down and gave her friend a quick hug. “Thank you, Kasumi. Knowing that it’s you and for Dengeki takes a little sting out of today.”

“What do you mean?” Kasumi asked, cocking her head a little.

“Oh, um. Well, I’m having to miss Setsuna’s show tonight because of this, and then she’ll be gone for three weeks on another tour.”

“Wait, that starts tonight?  _ I’m _ the reason you’re missing her show? Oh screw that, get out of here! Go see her show!”

Ayumu gasped at Kasumi’s words. She was a little ashamed to admit that her first instinct was to immediately accept and leave. Then the responsible part of her piped up saying that would be completely unprofessional to do such a thing. She shook her head.

“I can’t just leave a job, Kasumi! That would be horribly unprofessional of me. Besides, I can’t pass up the exposure of doing a job for Dengeki, and…,” she trailed off, eyes darting around while an embarrassed blush crept up her cheeks. Her last sentence came out barely above a whisper. “I kind of really need the money right now….”

“Ayumu, I will  _ guarantee _ that you get paid and that your name is still attached to this shoot.”

“How? And who will do your hair?”

Kasumi held up her phone and waved it around. “I have a favor I can call in, and I trust them with my hair. Maybe not quite as much as I trust you, but still enough. And as far as my manager is concerned, as long as this shoot is a success, that means you did your job and will get paid. And I’ll make sure it’s a success no matter what.”

Ayumu really didn’t want to admit how tempting it was to take Kasumi’s offer. The thought of getting to see Setsuna perform  _ and _ get the payment and prestige from this job was so, so tempting. It’d be like having her cake and eating it too. Still… it’d feel… wrong not to protest one last time. 

“But what—” 

“Oh my god,” Kasumi groaned. “Just go see your girlfriend perform! Have one last fun night before she has to leave again! Besides, while you were debating with yourself, I already called in my favor. So you might as well.” Kasumi grinned that special grin she only showed to her closest friends.

The last bits of Ayumu’s resistance crumbled. She wanted to see Setsuna so badly that it felt like a real, physical ache. And here Kasumi was giving her the chance. She leaned down again and gave her friend a proper hug. 

“Thank you so much, Kasumi. I’ll make it up to you somehow, I promise.”

Kasumi waved that off. “I’m sure I owed you for something at some point, so consider us even. Now go on! Enjoy the show.” She gave Ayumu a little shooing motion and smiled as her friend rushed out of the room.

Once out of the studio, Ayumu glanced at the time. If she hurried—and the buses cooperated—she’d have just enough time to get to the show before it started. So she hurried.

##########

Ayumu slid into her VIP seat, a little sweaty and out of breath, just moments before the lights dimmed. Excitement thrummed through the crowd as the anticipation mounted. Ayumu could barely contain the butterflies in her stomach.

A spotlight lit up center stage, revealing Setsuna and her stunning smile. 

_ “Hashiridashita!” _

The entire venue turned red from the glow of thousands of penlights, and Ayumu couldn’t contain her excitement. Even after so many years, hearing Setsuna perform  _ CHASE!  _ brought Ayumu such an intense joy. In a very real sense, this song had changed her life. It had shown her the power of chasing a dream with everything she had, and it had also started her on the path that led the two of them to meet and eventually fall in love.

The fact that Setsuna still performed it—heck, consistently started her concerts with it—felt special. Ayumu had even asked her why at one point.

“Because even after everything I’ve achieved so far, after all the dreams I’ve brought to life, this song is a reminder to me. It’s a warning never to stop chasing what I love, but it’s also a promise that my dreams will shine through in the end.” She had paused and glanced away, an embarrassed smile on her face. “Plus… it sounds like an anime opening, and it feels cool to start a concert with something like that.”

Back in the present, Ayumu couldn’t help but agree how cool of a song it was to start the show. Lyrics aside, it just had such an  _ energy _ to it that kicked off the show with a bang. And goodness did it show off Setsuna’s incredible vocal power. The short guitar solo got the crowd into it, making a wave of red as they shook their penlights in time with Setsuna’s fist pumping in the air. 

Ayumu’s—and really, almost everyone’s—favorite part, though, was Setsuna belting out the impassioned “Yeah!” at the beginning of the final chorus. Every time she got to hear it live, it always gave Ayumu chills. To her, that was the shout that woke up her dreams.

As the song ended, Setsuna stood posed in the spotlight while the crowd exploded with cheers—cheering which Ayumu happily took part in. Her girlfriend’s vibrant smile was on full display as she thanked everyone for coming and started a short MC segment. It was fairly simple—mostly talking about how excited she was for this show and the tour that would come after—and she quickly moved on to the next song.

The rest of the concert passed by in a blur. Ayumu had obviously heard all of the songs dozens (if not hundreds, in some cases) of times before, but there were a few from Setsuna’s newest album that she was hearing live for the first time. It was always fun to see the choreography and the little improvisations that came with a live show.

After almost two hours, Ayumu could tell the concert was getting close to ending. Setsuna had run through most of her concert regulars (with a few new ones here and there), and her voice was starting to get  _ just _ a little raspy. To tell the truth, Ayumu loved how her girlfriend sounded after a live show. There was just something so…  _ sexy _ about it, and she tried not to blush in her seat just thinking about it. 

“Alright everyone, it’s time for the final song of the evening,” Setsuna said. As she did, the very familiar opening instrumental of  _ MELODY _ started playing. “So for the last time tonight, let’s shout out to the whole world that we’ve found our dreams and we’re gonna reach them!”

The crowd went wild. Ayumu smiled to herself that—just like starting her shows with  _ CHASE! _ —Setsuna was still ending her shows with  _ MELODY. _ And just like it was secretly because the former was like an anime opening, Ayumu knew Setsuna kept finishing with the latter because it sounded like an anime ending. She loved her dork of a girlfriend.

The way the whispered lyrics of the bridge gave way to the empowered ones of the final chorus always gave Ayumu chills, and the raspy voice was in full effect. The final, belted out “Yeah!” as the outro played served as the perfect ending to an amazing concert, and Setsuna couldn’t help but show off one last time by adding a little trill in the middle of it. In time with the final notes, she planted the mic stand, promptly kicked it over, and pointed her gloved hand to the sky.

Ayumu cheered louder than anyone else in the building.

Some fifteen minutes later, after most of the crowd had cleared out, Ayumu made her way backstage. Thankfully the security let her in immediately after seeing her backstage pass. It didn’t take her long to find a door with Setsuna’s name on it.

She opened it as quietly as possible and peeked inside. Setsuna sat in front of a mirror, taking off her stage makeup, but she was still in her performance outfit. Luckily for Ayumu’s surprise, the room layout was such that neither Setsuna nor the mirror was pointed towards the door. She took a moment to admire her girlfriend, and she couldn’t hold back the smile that formed.

Finally, she couldn’t wait any longer.

“Hey Nacchan.”

“Hi Pomu,” Setsuna replied, continuing to take her makeup off. After a moment, though, her hand froze, and her head snapped over to look at the door. Ayumu smiled and gave a little wave. Setsuna’s eyes widened. “Pomu?! What? How? Why? What?!”

Ayumu’s smile grew as she fully entered the room and shut the door. This was the exact reaction she’d been hoping for. She sauntered over to where her girlfriend sat dumbfounded and slowly leaned down to kiss her. Right as Setsuna seemed to regain her wits and return the kiss, Ayumu pulled back, smiling.

“You were absolutely brilliant on stage tonight, my dear. Definitely a show worth seeing.”

In a burst of movement, Setsuna sprung from the chair and pushed Ayumu back to the door, pinning her against it. Ayumu heard more than saw her girlfriend reach down and lock it, the click sounding very loud in her ears. Still, she barely registered that. The more…  _ pressing _ matter was right in front of her. Setsuna’s eyes had such a hunger in them, and it made Ayumu’s heart speed up and the breath catch in her throat.

“I still don’t understand how you’re here right now, but at the moment, I don’t care,” Setsuna said. The raspiness in her voice that Ayumu had noticed earlier came out in full force, and Ayumu’s legs came dangerously close to giving out. “You were all I could think about while onstage, and having you here now is more than a dream come true.”

Setsuna leaned in and kissed Ayumu’s neck, right under the jaw, earning a small gasp. 

“How do you always manage to do exactly what will make me fall in love with you even more?” she asked, staring directly into Ayumu’s eyes.

Ayumu leaned in for a quick kiss of her own, and when she pulled back, she had a soft smile on her face.

“Because you do the same for me.”

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday, myon! I hope you have a great day, and hopefully this little present makes it even better <3
> 
> For the rest of my readers, hopefully this AU made sense, lol. It's really myon's brainchild, I've just been lucky enough to act as a soundboard for the "main plot" ideas. So for her birthday, I figured I'd write a little side story.


End file.
